They were strategic indeed~

@@GemologyforSchmucks I check your page every other day to see if there is a new video. This is one of the best channels on yt! Even if there isn't a new video the thumbnails are amazing, worth stopping in just to look at them as a collection.

Thank you ~ I strive

Cheers Rog~ I like the stone a lot. A bit sad to have shipped it back to my client, but that is the way of things. Parents have the same thing with kids each time they go off on their adventures to seek their fates eh? Mashallah, let's say.

Thank you Alisa~ I'm glad that my work is of value to you, particularly on shitty days. May the way go straight before your feet~

Thanks for your support Diego~ There is more to come in the days ahead.

@@GemologyforSchmucks woo! Looking forward to it!

Glad you enjoyed it~ could be a fun transformation for you to see it cut. It could also be underwhelming XD

My pleasure, and thank you for your support.

Thanks very much~

and THAT is the path of knowledge. Some things begin to lodge themselves in our minds, but we find a word for them later. Beautiful, i'd say. Price is more deceitful than beauty, often times.

I'm glad that my work is beneficial for you~

It's a delightful one~ should be available through my client in the next week or so.

My pleasure ~

My pleasure Steven~ thanks

Speaking truthes right there~ Some folk don't want to see. Which... am I wrong to want to show them? (that said, if they ask me for a discount... i'll blind them with science XD )

Cheers Nikhil~ i'm glad that my work continues to bring you joy~

Thank you Thoralf~

Cheeky #doubleentendre

Thanks Jessica~ Hiatus usually come around when i'm recalculating what direction I want to go in. Thanks for your kind words and constant support.

Thank you, Asheland.

There’s definitely a shift in public opinion towards ideal cutting.

My pleasure, Asham.

Glad to have been of service~

Thank you for your contribution

One of the most succinct i've made, I think. Had to refilm it 3 times to get it there XD.

@@GemologyforSchmucks yes very much so. Straight and to the point but not gruff , chaotic or unpleasant. It doesn't feel rushed , it just simply doesn't need to be more for the topic. Yet ,it is important.

Thanks for your patience and enthusiasm~

My Pleasure Chandra~

Thanks~

Thanks Phoebe~

Thanks ~ there are charts in cutting books that can give you an idea of ideal proportions for different crystal materials.

Seeing the stones in person is critical. Certificates of authenticity should always be viewed with suspicion, and the identification and treatment status of the stone should be verified by a competent observer.

Thanks for your enthusiasm, and kind words of support. Fear not - I'll be out from underneath the rock before too long.

Hi Laura, the short answer is - yes the vibrations through the metal can cause shock sensitive stones like kyanite (or emeralds) to develop cracks or enlarge fissures. This doesn't have as much to do with hardness (resistance to scratching/abrasion), as it does "toughness" which is a measure of resistance to breaking and impact. Kyanite is beautiful, but they often have fine fissures running through them, and anything more than angelic gentleness in setting can cause problems.

@@GemologyforSchmucks Thanks so much for your reply! I will try to manually manipulate the bezel and not rely on the hammer so much. I’ll see if that helps as I have a lot of Kyanite. Thank you.

Wonderful stones indeed.

Roval is a fantastic term. Its like "spork" more hilarious and useful than the actual utensil. I would say that this stone far out-paces most of the true "bluff stones" that i've seen in my career thus far. Many are big and blustery, but lack the transparency and complexity of this stone. I doubt many gem professionals would baulk at this stone actually, which is why I believe it is an important story to tell.

@@GemologyforSchmucks Oh sorry, I was under the impression any stone with color zoning that faces up nicely was called a bluff stone. 😔 Now someone needs to find a term for those odd half-cushion-half-ovals I see sometimes. 😂

My pleasure to share - this stone is traditionally heated, not titanium diffused. Titanium diffusion tends to show color concentrations around the facet junctions.

Indeed~! Colour zoning is not unique to sapphire at all. It can however disproportionately affect the price of a sapphire if its not oriented properly in the cut stone.

Gems sold online are a grab-bag experience. You never know whats going to come up, because it comes down to "who am I dealing with?" A seller's reputation is the closest thing you've got to a guarantee in our industry. If they have high positive reviews, you can take your chances. I personally don't like to buy stones online in general, and certainly not if I don't have faith in the seller's ability to clearly and honestly describe the condition and quality of the stone. My two cents ~ but you're welcome to do what you like with your money.

Thank you. Many people have different channels for selling stones. Finding the way that works for you is part of the process.

Hi Adil ~ the situation you face is a common challenge for those who deal in rough stones. The strategy (or gamble) is how to get the biggest, best quality stones out of a piece of rough. If you can get an excellent 5 carat piece, that is definitely going to take priority over an excellent 3 carat piece. If you can get a 5, 3 and 3, then all the better. Sacrificing a 30ct rough just to get one 5ct cut stone is a decision you'll have to calculate depending on what price you anticipate the 5 carat stone being saleable for. It's a lot of information to juggle. I wouldn't make any decisions without consulting the cutter you intend to trust with your rough.

Water and oil both work - anything to reduce the difference in the refractive index between the stone. Cleaning oil off the stone is fairly annoying and water often is enough for our purposes.

My best advice for you is to find the one that you trust. The choices are to either learn enough about the stones to make you satisfied that you are getting a good deal, or find the one that you trust to give you good value on what you are buying.

If you're comparing retail prices, go to several retailers and compare like with like. For wholesale you'll need to go to a market do the same thing. Unfortunately, there is no straightforward way to current pricing. It's in flux, and the one who buys and sells the most frequently and largest volume has the best idea of what price is possible for the qualities they deal in. The massive variety in colour and quality is part of what makes pricing sapphires accurately such a challenge. Many dealers attend the annual gem fairs specifically because it allows them to shop current prices more efficiently.

It definitely can be a good time yes. The absolute value of a stone is based on its objective rarity and demand. If the value of a currency drops out, the asking price of the stone can be changed on the spot. Gold has a similar function, which is why folks run to it when currencies go through troubled times. If you're looking to get out of a cash position, gemstones can be strong stores of value, though definitely less liquid than gold, as they're much more complex than gold.

@@GemologyforSchmucks okay what do you think about this. Platinum used to be more expensive than gold in the 1990s and 2000s. Than gold caught up. So maybe invest in platinum over time instead, since it is cheaper? And sell it when the price of platinum exceeds gold?

@@NealIRC That's a tough one to project. At one point I've heard that silver was more expensive than gold in ancient Egypt, because they didn't have any mines nearby. The "relative scarcity" is part of what drove the expense. As the world "got bigger" and trade routes connected, silver was found to be more plentiful than gold, and the prices adjusted. Will platinum outpace gold in the long run？I don't know that I have the wisdom to answer that. The main factor that i'm curious about on precious metals of any kind is... what happens when the prices of these metals are set by a free market, instead of a paper bullion market? Will that day come, and when? Too many questions. Either way, i'd say objects of value are better than just sitting on currencies for extended periods of time in troubled history.

Thank you~ welcome to the channel.

Hi ~ I've not got experience buying in Europe, so I cant say specifically. That said, vetting the sellers of gems is often as important as vetting the gemstone. Seek honest folk. Anyone who hides from direct questions is not likely to be who you want to buy from.

Why don't you buy from Peter ?

@@user-lv7su4ij3b I am in Europe, he is in Thailand 😂 probably the shipping is difficult. I would love to if it's possible

@@grilemedicina2675 I have bought from him here I. The USA. He was very communicative, sent clear descriptions, pros and cons and images for me to approve first. I had a very positive experience and encourage you to try him… I have come to respect his knowledge, appreciate him sharing it and wanted to give him a chance. I am just a hobbyist but I think I got more than my money’s worth.

Some people have an idea of "the perfect stone" and try to make what they have fit that idea.

If you're in Bangkok, there are many gem labs, and the price goes from a good cup of coffee to a wonderful dinner. It all depends on where you are and who is around you. If you're far from the gem market and gem professionals, the price definitely goes up because of shipping etc etc.

@@GemologyforSchmucks I’m in the USA. I went to rock and mineral club. They didn’t know without testing and there Faceting machine broke. Never went back

@@Algoldprospecting Testing would definitely be the wise way to go. Professionals are also reticent to give a call on a gem without measurable data or obvious features. There's too many gems that can be far too similar to non-chalantly make an ID call on gemstones.

Well thanks for getting back to me.. maybe if you have a minute you can look at some of my videos on the crystals I found

Thats the first thing we all have to accept before we are able to learn~

Oil accomplishes the same goal, and often better than water. That said... its annoying to clean off.

Inshallah that day will come.

Howdy ~ cutting gems is on the back burner at the moment. I'm working on some other skill sets (hand push engraving, and stone setting etc), and there's not enough hours in the day, as they say. Hopefully the days ahead will see the return of gem cutting~!

@@GemologyforSchmucks why don’t you do vids on that?

Under a rock, but dont worry - won't be there forever.

@@GemologyforSchmucks Glad to hear you’re okay :)

I often buy gems, when I see a good opportunity.